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December 01, 2015

At Your Fingertips: Termination of Parental Rights Statutes

The views expressed herein have not been approved by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, and accordingly, should not be construed as representing the policy of the American Bar Association.

Looking for state statutes on termination of parental rights? Two resources to check out are:

National Center for State Courts

Adoption/TPR Statutes Web Page

Links to termination of parental rights statutes in all 50 states. Listings include the statutory citations, grounds for termination, and special exceptions.

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights

A 2013 publication discussing state laws that provide the legal basis for terminating the rights of parents found unfit to parent their children. It addresses the circumstances under which the court may find that termination may not serve the child’s best interests and under which a parent’s rights may be reinstated. It also includes summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories.